Last year, Barbados became a Republic, severing its colonial ties with the British monarchy. Six other countries may soon chart the same course to full independence: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Kitts & Nevis. It is no coincidence that these are all Caribbean states once violently colonized by the British monarchy. The crown was the driving force behind slavery in the region. I agree with Professor Maya Jasanoff, who recently wrote in the New York Times that we should “mourn the queen, not her empire.” May Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor rest in peace. And may the crown continue to decline in power and prestige in the UK and the world.
Richard Albert
On My Bookshelf
If you are curious about the New Zealand Constitution, this is the book for you. Co-authored by Matthew S R Palmer and Dean Knight, it is an outstanding study of one of the world's few remaining uncodified constitutions.
Constitution Day
The US Constitution is archaic, unamendable, and undemocratic. But it was not fated to be this way. I explain why in "The Constitution America Could Have Had," my Constitution Day lecture at the University of Pittsburgh on Friday at 12:30pm ET. Live stream is available.
Dr. Ashley Moran is a postdoctoral fellow with the Comparative Constitutions Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Moran's scholarly research in comparative constitutionalism and democratic reform is informed by her work in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere on behalf of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Dr. Moran is currently completing a book on the role of Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in implementing the new democratic constitution and building social cohesion in the country. She is also working with the Constitutional Studies Program at the University of Texas at Austin to co-host and co-coordinate LevinsonFest 2022. Connect with Dr. Moran here.
BBQ with a View
I recently hosted the editorial board of the Texas International Law Journal for BBQ dinner here in Austin. These outstanding students volunteer their time to help advance scholarship in comparative, foreign, and international law. The entire field owes them a big thank you!
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The mission of the International Forum on the Future of Constitutionalism is to marshal knowledge and experience to build a world of opportunity, liberty, and dignity for all.
